Government


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42853015/ns/world_news/t/timeline-osama-bin-ladens-life/


http://www.eduplace.com/ss/wtp/testprep/studyskills.html - How to study for Social Studies


Government Activities, reading and study materials:
Gov't_Preamble

Work item
Resources
To do
Due date
Unit 1



Preamble
Power Point
Compare what it meant then to the meaning today
August 25
Key people and ideas Museum
Choose one from pdf
Research, provide visual and a description for gallery
August 30
Museum - Gallery Walk
Gallery Walk summary
Take notes and begin synthesizing the information gathered by your classmates
August 31 and September 1
Mind Map of Understanding
Guide how to create a mind map
Map out your understanding of the Roots of Government
September 1
Unit 2



Bill of Rights
Technology and 200 year old Bill of Rights
Read the three articles, focus on Technology and the Law and answer the questions
September 6
Why the Proposal of Privileges
Why the Bill of Rights
Read article, answer questions and begin the Proposal activity.
September 6
You be the Judge
8 Scenario's of court cases
Read the Scenario, determine the Bill of Right that protects that right and your ruling. This is an activity. We will discuss each in detail and talk about the corresponding Supreme Court Case.
September 7
Immigration and the Bill of Rights
Case Study
Research, study it and then be the judge.
September 10

Unit 3


Our Current Government




Upfront reading and questions
September 21


Political Questions
September 22
Branches of Government and who does what job on what level?
Project
Three branches of government and the people that do the jobs
October 7
Investigating Candidates and Issues
Judging Candidates
Mesa County Sample BalletBlue Book

Issues on 2010 Ballet
Health Care
Is Health Care Constitutional?
October 26

Medical Marijuana

October 27

Taxes
What does history say about taxes?

History of Lower Taxes Can you find other sites to add to this discussion?
October 28

Judges
Colorado Judges - Mesa County
November 1

VOTE
Complete your sample ballet and be prepared! Observe the voting process!
Nov. 2


Reflection





UNIT 4


RULE OF LAW


History of the American Law System
History and Background
Rule of Law - History and Background
Nov. 8

Supreme Court Judges
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/features/index.asp?article=f051010_supremes

Why is the process of choosing a new justice so rigorous? How many justices have been appointed throughout history? What are the term limits of a justice? Can you identify the justice who has serviced the longest. Figure out the average years a justice services.
Would you want to serve on the supreme court, why or why not?
Nov 15
Post your findings in discussions
The Manner in which a Democratic Society Resolves Disputes

Take notes while I share information "lecture".
The outline -
Nov. 16


Courts in the movies - complete the graphic organizer in Google Spreadsheets. Courts in the Movies
Nov. 16


Courts in the news - Find a current newspaper article that deals with a court case. Use the Google Doc and share it with me. Courts in the News
Nov 16
Journey of a Court Case
Different types of court cases
Handouts with flow charts - using the example shared in class complete the rest of the charts, may complete in groups of two.
Nov. 17

Summary of a Supreme Court Case
Supreme Court Cases make sure you are logged into Gmail and make yourself a copy of my original, when you are finished share it with me
Nov. 18

UNIT 5


How to __ a Court Case


Courtroom Etiquette
Discussion

Nov. 29
Objectively Analyze
You rule the case
What is objective?
Nov. 30
Argue
Background Presentation
Synopsis Case: Soccer Team
Dec. 1
Practice your Persuasive Skills

http://www.icivics.org/games/argument-wars - play this game and practice what you have learned.
Dec. 2


Mock Trial - Buying a Used Car


Colorado and Washington State laws -used car warranties

Hand Out 1
Hand Out 2
Hand Out 3



IMPLIED WARRANTY NEGOTIATION

Colorado Attorney General

http://www.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov/initiatives/consumer_resource_guide
Look up Colorado laws on vehicles, how can you be prepared?
How else could you use this site? Explain.

Better Business Bureau
Google the BBB
http://wynco.bbb.org/ This is Denver's BBB
How Many BBBs are out there? How do you know which site to use?
What sort of information can be helpful on this site?
Explain how this site/organization maybe helpful in your future?











Mock Trial - Intellectual property



Movie - about a court case





UNIT 6

LEGISLATION

Vocabulary

Legislation - is the process of making a law.Political Process - The procedure for governing the nation

Legislative Process
Take notes using MindMap
Overview of the US legislative process - Create a MindMap of the process
10 Jan
What are the Legislative Committees
Google Doc - knowledge quest
Colo. Legislative Committees
Use this Google Doc to guide your knowledge quest about the committees that make the laws that we live with.
20 Jan
Observing the US House of Representatives
Take Notes
http://houselive.gov/ watch the US House of Representative -
Who is talking, where are they from, what is their main point. Relfect on how our elected officials work for us.



Mock Legislation proceeding

Communicate with your Legislator
Write a letter
Write a letter to your congressmen - follow the tips here Communicating with Elected Officials This will be the final for this section,. You need to show you understanding of how citizens can and do influence our elected officials
27 Jan




Unit 7

Being A Citizen of the United States of America





Feb 8
(20 points)
Current Events - Apply Critical Thinking Skills


9 Feb
(10points)
Feb 10
(10 Points)
Airport Scanners - are they infringing on our rights?

Please some research about this issue before answering the questions! There are about 5 links to help guide you in the PDF. Use the reading in your answers to validity the questions (5 points). Then choose a side to agree or disagree with (5 points). Thanks!
14 Feb
(10 points)
America's Challenges
America & the World: The Challenges Ahead

America's Challenges 2011
Read these two articles, come up with a list of at least 10 questions, they need to show you are using your critical thinking skills!( 1 point each)
Then write on an issue that is not talked about in these articles that you believe is a real challenge to America. This can be about a topic that you feel is not getting enough attention or the right attention from our government. (10 points thought provoking, strong facts and details, easy to follow and understand. More thank a few sentences points are deducted for anything less.
16 Feb
(20 points)


Current Event on America's challenges
17 Feb
(10 Points)
Unit 8

Other Governments around the World


Other types of Governments

What are they, where are they, how to they function, are they successful?

Other countries governments - how are they set up?

Nicely done!

Other countries challenges
Coming Soon!


Being a citizen of other countries











TRAFFIC SAFETY and GOVERNMENT
http://trid.trb.org/view.aspx?id=1083698 this is the abstract -

there is a link
to the actual document!
This is a large document on the study of traffic safety in the US and other Countries. Your job is to break into 5 groups, each group chooses a chapter, please make sure each chapter is chosen. Remember when we studied the legislative branch of government and we talked about how committees researched information and made recommendations. Here is byproduct of all the work.

Get to know it - in fact be prepared to teach me all about it by Thursday this week.
Be thinking about how this is something the country you have focused on should use or does not need.
Final 3rd quarter




































Unit 9


Political Cartoons




"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells." -- Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991)





Interpret a current cartoon.
QUESTIONS
Why did the artist draw it? What message is he or she trying to get across? How effective do students think this cartoon is in making its point?

Read this link

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/politicaldrseuss/political.html

Discuss

What are some advantages of political cartoons over plain text articles? What are some of the purposes and outcomes of political cartoons?

Vocabulary
Review and discuss as a group
  • Fascism: a political philosophy that glorifies the state and confers supreme power to a dictatorial leader while forcibly suppressing opposition and individual expression. Nazi Germany was an example of a fascist state.
  • Anti-Semitism: prejudice against Jews.
  • America First Movement: a movement during World War II that advocated isolationism and nonintervention in Europe. Pilot Charles Lindbergh was involved in this movement.
  • Japanese American Internment: the forced removal of Japanese Americans from their homes to internment camps during World War II.
  • Left-Wing: during World War II, members of the political left were against racism and anti-Semitism, opposed to Hitler, against isolationism and the America First movement, and pro-labor, but many distrusted the Japanese and condoned the internment of Japanese Americans.

Watching the Video
Segment 01:20:11 – 01:26:55 of THE POLITICAL DR. SEUSS
Answer these questions:
  • How did Dr. Seuss respond to Hitler and Mussolini, the Holocaust, and the Japanese American internment?
  • Why did Dr. Seuss choose to write for PM?

Graphic Organizer used to help analyze cartoons
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/politicaldrseuss/gallery.html
Make charts with three columns. Label the first column "Cartoon Title," the second "Topic" and the third "Dr. Seuss's View"
  • first column: write the name of the cartoon
  • second column: write the historical event or situation the cartoon addresses (e.g. "the America First movement during World War II")
  • third column: write the viewpoint Dr. Seuss takes in this cartoon. What is he trying to say in his drawing?

Follow the link provided and "Enter the Gallery". Look at each cartoon and analyze it using the chart described above.

Another perspective
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/sia/cartoon.htm
Go through the exercise. Look at the cartoon and answer ask the questions as listed above. Then see how the cartoonist, Thomas Nast felt about the issues as he drew them out.

Group Discussion
Using notes from video and website talking about these questions.
  • How did Dr. Seuss's cartoons reflect his own political views?
  • How did Dr. Seuss respond to the Japanese internment? How did this response differ from his reaction to other acts of racial and ethnic discrimination?
  • How effective do you think Dr. Seuss's political cartoons are in communicating his viewpoints?
  • How important do you think the work of political cartoonists is in general? Do you think they still play an important role in shaping public opinion? Why or why not?

Watch the Lorax by Dr. Suess

Identify the propaganda elements you recognize in this film in a list.
Then read this analysis of The Lorax. http://www.endicott-studio.com/rdrm/forseus.html
Compare what you found in the movie and compare it to the Heinz Insu Fenkl's interpretation.

Assessment
Make your own political cartoon: collage with labels and your own text
Choose a current topic that we have been following in class. (1) Make a collage rather than an original drawing, but you must write your own text to show the point you're trying to illustrate. The catch is that you cannot use any other political cartoons. (2) Draw your own political cartoon, using your own text and labels to show the point you are trying to make.
To complete this project you must write, on a separate sheet of paper, captions to explain what you are trying to say, and why you've chosen to create a cartoon on this issue.





Unit 10


Policy Making:

A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome(s)

Different Types of Policy
http://www.ushistory.org/gov/11.asp -
read this section on Policy Making and take notes on each section a-d.



read the article about how the press has started watching the Presidents